OMAFA field crop specialists in collaboration with Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) and members of the Ontario Agri-Business Association (OABA) have completed the 2025 annual Ontario corn ear mould and DON mycotoxin survey. Corn ear moulds such as Gibberella and their corresponding mycotoxins occur every year in Ontario. These mycotoxins, particularly deoxynivalenol (DON, also referred to as vomitoxin) are produced primarily by Gibberella/Fusarium ear moulds and can be disruptive when fed to li...| Field Crop News
28% has become the preferred nitrogen source on winter wheat in Ontario. Application is perfectly uniform, something that seems difficult to achieve with most urea applications. However, leaf burn is one of the main problems with 28% applications, particularly at later stages of growth. With more emphasis on split nitrogen applications, and renewed interest in even later N applications on Hard Red Winter wheat for protein, leaf burn is becoming problematic.| Field Crop News
Ontario agriculture has changed drastically since the mid-20th century and even more in recent decades. Fields are much larger, crop and livestock production are more specialized, a smaller percentage of crops grown are perennial, and equipment is more sophisticated and larger than ever before. While modern crop production practices have brought gains in efficiency and in some cases (e.g., no-till planting) improvements in soil conservation, others, like heavier equipment and frequently-grown...| Field Crop News
Wind erosion can cause significant soil loss. This fall, consider how your residue management and tillage practices can help reduce risk of erosion by wind over the winter and into next spring.| Field Crop News
As seed orders are being finalized, it’s a good time to reassess whether insecticide seed treatments are truly needed. A comprehensive 4-year study led by Dr. Jocelyn Smith at the University of Guelph – Ridgetown Campus evaluated 129 corn and 31 soybean field trials across Ontario. The study compared fungicide-only seed treatments (FST) with neonicotinoid + fungicide (NST) and diamide + fungicide (DST) treatments.| Field Crop News
Co-Authored with Shane McClure and Middlesex Soil and Crop Improvement Association Purpose: Adequate soil phosphorus (P) and potash (K) levels are essential to produce high yielding crops. With high fertilizer prices it is important to use the fertilizer as efficiently as possible. Using starter fertilizer can be an effective way to apply fertilizer but what [...]Read More...| Field Crop News
Production Requirements Soil Types: Switchgrass is suited to most soil types. Yields are lower on extremely heavy or light soils Soil pH: 6.0–6.8 Recommended Rotational Crops: Switchgrass is a long-term perennial crop and rotation crops do not apply. Cereal crops may serve as nurse crops during establishment Minimum Soil Temperature: 10°C Optimum Air Temperature: 24°C–29°C [...]Read More...| Field Crop News
Production Requirements Soil Types: Sunflowers are suited to most soil types. Yields are lower on poorly drained or very light soils Soil pH: 6.0–7.5 Recommended Rotational Crops: Corn, cereal crops Should Not Rotate With: Soybeans, dry edible beans, canola, camelina and buckwheat Minimum Soil Temperature: 6°C Optimum Air Temperature: 25°C–28°C Earliest Planting Date: Early May [...]Read More...| Field Crop News
Production Requirements Soil Types: Sandy and loam soils. Soils prone to crusting may drastically reduce germination Soil pH: 4.8–8.5 Recommended Rotational Crops: Corn, cereal crops Minimum Soil Temperature: 5°C–10°C Optimum Air Temperature: Prefers a temperate to semi-arid climate. Temperatures above 35°C may cause plant dormancy or pollen sterility Earliest Planting Date: Plant early, similar to [...]Read More...| Field Crop News
Production Requirements Soil Types: Miscanthus is suited to most soil types. Yields are lower on extremely heavy or light soils Soil pH: 5.4–6.8 Recommended Rotational Crops: Miscanthus is a long-term perennial and crop rotations do not apply. Wheat or other cereals may act as a nurse crop during establishment Minimum Soil Temperature: 4°C for planting [...]Read More...| Field Crop News
Resilient crop yields can be maximized by improving soil health, which is enhanced with cover crops. Long-term advocates have found that adding cover crops to their rotation adds a critical amount of additional carbon to the soil.| Field Crop News
The success of a crop is generally evaluated on economic yield, where inputs and fixed costs are subtracted from gross profit. Most of the time the crop is evaluated on a per year basis and the decision as to which crop to grow includes market demand as part of the decision-making process. A more sustainable approach to crop economics would look at economic yield by rotation. This would combine inputs and fixed costs for all the crops within a crop rotation, dived by the gross profit of all...| Field Crop News
Soil health is described as the soil’s capacity to support crop growth without becoming degraded or otherwise harming the environment. Physical, chemical and biological indicators can help determine relative soil health. Physical indicators include aggregate stability, available water holding capacity, soil structure and soil compaction. Chemical indicators include soil pH, and soil nutrient content. Biological indicators include soil organic matter/soil organic carbon, microbial respirat...| Field Crop News
The nutrient balance in mixed crop and livestock systems is shaped by the production of livestock feed on the crop acres. Livestock have specific nutrient requirements which results in crop production practices that focus on quality of feed as opposed to highest yield. For example, forages are harvested to match livestock nutrient needs for energy or protein based on the livestock type, stage of production and end goals and purpose of the livestock being fed (e.g., milk, meat, eggs, repro...| Field Crop News
Integrated pest management (IPM) is an approach to weed, insect and disease management that uses all available control strategies to manage pest populations, keeping them below economic thresholds. This results in a cropping system that is more resilient to failures since it does not exclusively rely on the use of pesticides to control pests. For example, integrated weed management strategies include field scouting, tillage and nutrient management practices, crop rotations and cover crops and...| Field Crop News
Soil compaction can severely impact the productivity, profitability and environmental consequences of farming today. These impacts include decreased water infiltration, increased soil erosion, reduced yield, reduced nutrient uptake, increased input cost, reduced root growth and rooting depth, reduced water holding capacity, and reduced water and soil quality. Questions about Soil Compaction and this page can be directed to Alex Barrie, OMAFRA (alex.barrie@ontario.ca) or Ian McDonald, OMAFRA (...| Field Crop News
The Ontario Cereal Crop Committee (OCCC) 2025 winter wheat preliminary trial data for Area 1 and 2 is now available at GoCrops.ca. The 2025 preliminary data can be found in the tables under “winter wheat” in the “performance trial results” tab at GoCrops.ca. The final winter wheat data and PDF report will be finalized at the upcoming OCCC meeting.| Field Crop News
Lack of rains and hot temperatures have two spotted spider mites (TSSM) exploding in some fields. Scouting soybeans and dry beans frequently for TSSM this time of year is important, as infestations tend to be noticed too late from the road when management was required much earlier. Mite infestations typically start on the fields edge, especially close to freshly cut ditch banks and road sides or next to recently harvested wheat fields. Look for plants that are yellowing or look drought stress...| Field Crop News
This article was written by Jonathan Sawicki, a summer research assistant with OMAFA assisting with corn research and extension projects during the summers of 2023 and 2024. Jonathan is now an M.Sc. candidate in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph.| Field Crop News
Soybean aphids (SBA) have been spotted in a few fields in southern Ontario that haven’t seen SBA in quite a few years. As soybeans begin to enter R1, weekly scouting is advised, focusing first on the earlier planted fields close to or in R1, as well as any that have not had much rain and may be moisture stressed. A reminder that SBA start as colonies in a few pockets in the field before becoming overcrowded and spreading themselves out more evenly across the fields. These highly infested pl...| Field Crop News
The start of this week has been marked by several days of well above normal temperatures – daily highs in the low to mid 30’s brings the first summer-like hot spell across much of Ontario. These temperatures have helped reduce the heat unit deficit that has been a hallmark of spring 2025.| Field Crop News
The province experienced weather extremes. Southern Ontario saw warmer conditions that supported corn and soybean growth and helped dry fields still awaiting planting. However, wind and scattered rain complicated weed control efforts. In the Northeast and Northwest Ontario, temperatures neared 0°C, raising concerns about frost damage to emerged soybeans and white beans. Field assessments are ongoing.| Field Crop News
A cooler than average start to the growing season has added some uncertainty to post-plant nitrogen fertilization strategies for Ontario corn producers. Soil supply of nitrogen to the corn crop is likely lower than normal due to reduced N mineralization from both soil organic matter and manure, and the Maximum Economic Rate of Nitrogen (MERN) for a given field may be somewhat higher than an average year.| Field Crop News
It’s been a tough spring across much of Ontario and growers continue to face variable weather conditions, creating both opportunities and challenges across regions. Frequent rain events have delayed planting in parts of eastern Ontario, particularly on heavier clays from Belleville to Kingston and Essex which had up to 3” of rain last week halting soybean planting. Unfavourable weather has continued to challenge spray operations across much of the province. High winds have reduced the num...| Field Crop News
Have you been seeing increased corn rootworm pressure in your continuous corn fields over the last few years? Monitoring with sticky traps can help you determine if you have a Bt resistant corn rootworm problem and it helps us keep track of where these problem fields are. Thanks to GFO and ABSTC, we still have some free corn rootworm sticky traps to give away this year to any interested trap participants, new or experienced. Fields with a history of corn on corn and repeated CRW Bt hybrid use...| Field Crop News
The growth points of alfalfa and red clover are at the tips of the stems, so management recommendations depend on the amount of damage:Less than 50% growth points removed: wait to cut until planned harvest maturity. Expect reduced yields.| Field Crop News
This cooler, wet weather seems to have delayed plant growth but also has been ideal for pests to build in fields or do more feeding while the plant growth is slowed.| Field Crop News
Cooler than normal weather continued, with several overnight lows below 10°C. In the southwest, crop heat units (CHUs) are below normal and about 200 below last year on this date. Planting is progressing as soils become fit; however, crop emergence has been slow. | Field Crop News
Field work progressed quickly across the province in the past week, with sunny skies and warm temperatures peaking on Friday, May 16th before scattered showers and below seasonal temperatures began on the Victoria Day long weekend. Widespread rainfall slowed field activities beginning mid-week. Soil temperatures have generally been cool, resulting in slow crop emergence and growth.| fieldcropnews.com
Black cutworm (BCW) and true armyworm (TAW) moths have been making their way into Ontario over the last few weeks. Black cutworm in particular have been arriving since mid April in southwestern Ontario, with trap counts increasing weekly. Shout out to our new northern Ontario trap participants at the New Liskeard, Thunder Bay and Emo Research Stations for monitoring BCW traps up there after last years significant cutworm infestations. It helps us keep an eye out for risk in that region. Thank...| Field Crop News
Variable weather conditions across the province over the last week have led to a range of planting progress. Areas of the southwest are well into spring planting, with some areas estimating over 50% of the crop acres planted, while others are just getting started with field work. Growing Degree Days (GDD) are behind last year, but are above or on par with the 10-year norm for most stations across the province.| Field Crop News
Winter triticale, barley, rye and wheat fields in many areas of the province are experiencing snow mould. Those regions that had significant snow coverage in particular, including but not limited to Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth and Wellington counties are showing significant patches throughout fields. Those fields effected were generally planted early and had lots of top growth. There are also varietal differences with more susceptible varieties showing more severe symptoms.| Field Crop News
The 2024 Ontario Corn Committee (OCC) hybrid performance trials are now available at GoCrops.ca (Link HERE). Over past decades, Ontario’s average corn yields have increased around 2 bu/ac/yr. Staying current with new and competitive yielding hybrids is important.| Field Crop News
Frost seeding or the broadcasting of forage seed on frozen ground in late-winter or early-spring can be an effective way of improving the forage quality and yield of thinning pastures. It allows for the establishment of forages at reduced cost in an undisturbed sod and also shortens the non-grazing period in the spring.| Field Crop News
